The invention is directed to a multistatic radar system with real-time signal processing for detecting, localizing, characterizing and tracking ground targets of interest. Ground clutter and signals from stationary targets are identified and removed at the local radar receivers.
In many situations, there is a need to monitor ground-based objects and targets, for example, to prevent home intrusion, burglaries, and for military applications, such as perimeter surveillance. Often, it is important to not only detect these targets, but also to discriminate between targets. Targets of interest can be, for example, humans on foot, wheeled or tracked vehicles. Such surveillance poses particular challenges in foliage environments as radio frequency (RF) energy experiences attenuation, dispersion, and modulation, making it difficult to detect and/or discriminate targets from stationary and non-stationary clutter. Single narrowband monostatic radar systems tend to have poor range resolution, and in spite of higher transmitted power have limited coverage area in foliage environments due to attenuation and multi-path fading.
Accordingly, there is a need for a radar tracking system that can efficiently detect and track moving targets, in particular multiple targets, and discriminate between targets and stationary and moving clutter under adverse environmental conditions. There is also a need to distinguish between and classify different types of targets, for example, humans, animals, and vehicles of different size.